The Aliens Have Invaded!
After finishing my playthrough of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, I had to decide what to record next. It was tempting to just go right into the next title in the series (there are three on the same disc after all), but ultimately I wanted to go with a different type of game. You know, get a different flavor going. I am very excited, but also a bit nervous about what I selected…
I love a strategy or RPG game with a good turn-based combat mechanic. I enjoy being able to examine the situation and theorize about what might come next as a result of each decision. As I’ve mentioned before turn-base and real-time systems each have their own place in my heart, but if I had to pick one over the other outside of any context I would go turn-based. Maybe it’s because Dragon Warrior was my first video game love, or because of how it imitates that flow of the paper/dice founding father so many games have drawn inspiration from. Maybe it’s simply that I don’t like to be rushed when there are more than a few different moving parts to take into consideration.
The Setup
The aliens are invading and must be stopped! The mysterious council of nations has put into effect the “XCOM Project” in an effort to combat the otherworldly threat. You, the player, are cast into the role of Commander of this initiative. Right off the bat I like that even though you aren’t supposed imagine yourself as any of the on screen characters, you are given an identified role.
Throughout the game you must decide which specific soldiers will deploy for each mission and how each of them will level up within their respective classes. In between missions you will choose how the budget is to be spent between better troop equipment, global satellite coverage, base upgrades, etc..
Your Army
Each event in the game can carry with it permanent consequences, and the effects on the individuals in your military force are no exception. Each member of your squad can be injured, or even killed during enemy engagements. Should they die, they won’t return. For this reason I’ve often heard it recommended that you name each member of your force after people you know. When the soldiers at risk on the ground are named after friends, family members, or co-workers, it adds a bit more impact to their battlefield demise and subsequent listing on the memorial wall. It can also add a bit of humor when you are tired of yelling at your real-life cubicle neighbor to quit missing all of his shots and start pulling his weight!
For this playthrough I won’t be doing that because it can be pretty time consuming to redesign each person in the barracks, at least it is for me because I’m not just content to change their name but also their face and hair as well as pick out a specific armor color. Additionally, there may be people in my life who wouldn’t appreciate their name and likeness being shared in this manner for all the internet to have access to. Asking everyone I know how they feel about me including them in the “dumb video game internet thing I’m doing” is not something I’ll be pursuing.
However, if you stumble upon this blog or the video itself on my YouTube page and would like to see an XCOM soldier named after you, feel free to let me know and I’d be happy to try to keep that unfortunate digital soul alive.
How many nations of the world will lose confidence and pull their support from the project as I struggle to keep them safe? How many brave men and women will ultimately give their lives in defense of their home world before the inevitable conclusion? Only time will tell…
Play nice, everyone!
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i always meant to play xcom, and yet never did. this is a good reminder to do that!
ReplyDeleteIt's such a fun game!
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